Khamenei's Response to Quds Force Commander's Letter Regarding the Islamic State Group

The Leader of the Islamic Republic, in response to the letter from the commander of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, referred to the defeat of the Islamic State group (ISIS) in Syria and Iraq as a 'blow' to the 'previous and current governments of the United States' and their allied countries in the region, accusing them of having 'created' ISIS. According to the state news agency IRNA, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated on Tuesday evening, November 21, that the 'eradication' of ISIS in Syria and Iraq was not only a blow to this group but also a 'harder blow to the wicked policies' that aimed to 'create internal wars in the region and destroy the resistance' against Israel and 'weaken independent governments.' Iranian officials refer to Bashar al-Assad, the Hezbollah group in Lebanon, and some armed Palestinian groups as the 'Resistance Front' against Israel. In this letter, Khamenei also described the defeat of ISIS in Iraq and Syria as a 'blow' to the 'previous and current U.S. governments and their dependent regimes in this region.' He reiterated his claim that these countries 'created this group and supported it in every way to expand their nefarious dominance in the region of West Asia' and to establish Israel's dominance over this region. The Leader of the Islamic Republic has repeatedly claimed that the U.S. and Western countries created ISIS to 'counter the Islamic Republic.' In 2014, he also labeled the British government as 'wicked,' stating that it created 'ISIS' and al-Qaeda 'to confront the Islamic Republic and Islamic awakening.' Iranian officials have also accused Saudi Arabia of supporting ISIS. Khamenei's remarks come at a time when ISIS has long faced heavy bombardment from U.S.-led coalition forces in Syria and Iraq, and U.S.-backed armed groups recently succeeded in capturing Raqqa, the self-proclaimed capital of ISIS in Syria, pushing its forces back in large areas of northern and eastern Syria. Khamenei had previously stated that he rejected a U.S. request for cooperation against ISIS. On September 15, 2014, upon leaving the hospital, he said, 'In the early days when the issue of ISIS arose in Iraq, the Americans requested through their ambassador in Iraq that we cooperate against ISIS; I opposed it because their hands are dirty.' In his letter to the commander of the Quds Force, he also wrote that the creators of ISIS 'will not rest' and 'will try to revive it in another part of this region or in another form.' He added, 'Maintaining motivation, vigilance, unity, eliminating any dangerous remnants, cultural work for enlightenment, and comprehensive preparedness should not be forgotten.' Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force, wrote in a letter to the Leader of the Islamic Republic on Tuesday that the 'domination of ISIS' has ended with the lowering of the group's flag in the city of Abu Kamal. Abu Kamal, located in eastern Syria near the Iraqi border, was one of the last strongholds of ISIS in the region that has recently been taken from the group's control. In the operation to retake this city, five Iranians, including two senior members of the Quds Force, were killed, and according to Iranian media reports, Qassem Soleimani commanded this operation. Tehran and Moscow are the main allies of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, which has been embroiled in armed protests and civil war since 2011. The protests against Assad, which initially were peaceful, turned into armed conflicts after being suppressed by the Syrian army, leading to the entry of extremist groups into the battlefield. Previously, critics within Iran have severely criticized Qassem Soleimani and the Quds Force's performance in the region, attributing the 'creation' of ISIS to 'Soleimani's mismanagement.' The Revolutionary Guards have repeatedly stated that the presence of their commanders in Syria and Iraq is 'advisory,' and the Islamic Republic has sent forces to these countries at the request of Bashar al-Assad and the Iraqi government. U.S. officials have repeatedly criticized Iran's military activities in Syria. Former President Barack Obama had held Russia and Iran, along with Assad's government, responsible for the civilian deaths in Aleppo. Critics within Iran have also previously stated that if Qassem Soleimani had not been present in Syria, 'there would be no ISIS in Syria now.'